Inter captain Javier Zanetti has admitted that the club have put their Scudetto dream on hold. “We have to finish third.”

The Nerazzurri got themselves back in the title race after collecting seven straight Serie A wins, but they’ve started 2012 poorly and lost 4-0 at Roma on Sunday.

“We played badly,” the Argentine told Sky Sport Italia. “Roma deserved to win and from tomorrow we'll start putting right what we did wrong.

“The Scudetto? Today we have to think about Novara and finishing third,” he continued. “We'll do our best.

“Have we given up? Not even one of us. I agree with what the President said, that we have to shake ourselves up. Everyone in the team must answer for this, we need character and this time we'll do it.”

Fifth-placed Inter are five points behind Udinese who sit in the last available Champions League spot.

It has been a problematic season for the Beneamata and there is inevitably talk that the squad will be substantially rebuilt in the summer.

“It’s normal to hear such things,” the veteran continued. “But memories are short. Our squad is one which has won everything over the last seven years.

“Now we have to show our ability to build something new in order to return to winning ways.”